Calling The Shots
by ItsTheFlyingSquirrel
Summary: Brittany S. Pierce: hero of Midland High School's girls' basketball team. Having won the Texas State Champion title, her reputation as high school basketball star was on at full-force. However, when tragedy forces her family to move to Lima, Ohio, she must rebuild it all. There she desperately searches for true friendships, another State trophy, and the key to Santana Lopez' heart.
1. Prologue

**Summary**: Brittany S. Pierce was the hero of Midland High School's girls' basketball team. Having almost single-handedly won the Texas State Champion title for her team sophomore year, her reputation as high school basketball star was on at full-force. However, when the death of her grandfather forces her family to move to the small town of Lima, Ohio, she must rebuild her life from the ground up. There she desperately searches for true friendships, another State Championship trophy, and the key to Santana Lopez' heart.

**Warnings**: None really, except for the use bad language (lots and lots of swearing on the court).

**A/N**: Hey there! This is my first fic, but I promise if you decide to stick around you're in for a good one :D

Enjoy :)

* * *

_Some people believe that there are one or two monumental moments we experience in our lifetime that make or break our future—that define who we are as a person. And once those moments unfold, the rest of our life is decided. There's no other way to go back or change it, fate has already taken over and made its decision. The only thing we can do is sit along for the ride and hope that no more wrenches are thrown our way._

_Others believe that little tiny moments, the small choices we make everyday, are what our lives build upon, and if one choice is made, it can always be reversed. The moments don't define us, we define the moments. Nothing is ever set in stone, any missteps can be erased and replaced with better, smarter decisions._

_Brittany always thought she was part of the latter group. The group who believed that no single event could drastically change your life and lead you down one long path without a choice in direction. Instead, it was a series of small paths that added up and eventually lead you to your destination. No way can a single decision or event permanently affect your future. Especially when it's someone else making that decision._

_Nothing is inalterable._

_Or so she thought._

* * *

_August 11, 2013_

_There Brittany sat, with her parents and younger sister, in the living room of their modest home in West Texas. The Pierce family wore anxious expressions, waiting with bated breath. The only sound was the unwaivering, monotonous tick of the clock on the mantle and the intermittent static emitted from the object that held everyone's attention._

_Then, a confirmation of the dreaded. To Brittany, the words did not register. The soft sobs from her mom and the comforting words of her dad were nothing but a ceaseless stridency, lodged in the farthest and most disregarded section of her mind; the white noise in the background of an old TV film that everybody tries so desperately hard to ignore. Usually she was an expert at imagining good things that weren't there and ignoring the bad things that were. But the white noise and the truth that came with it wouldn't go away._

_Her Grandat was not dead. There was no way. The man who brought her the most thoughtful gifts on the rare times he and Grammy would visit, the man with his kind, bright smile and persuasive turquoise eyes—the man whom she barely got to see but loved so dearly— was not dead._

_Yet there she sat, huddled with her family around the landline telephone set to loudspeaker, elbows resting on the coffee table and knees bent on the carpet._

_"_The doctor said it was congestive heart failure and there was nothing..._"_

_Brittany made herself tune out her grandmother's hysterical cries and the unavoidable explanation of her grandfather's death. She didn't need another confirmation. She didn't need another round of fresh tears. She just wanted to take back the last 15 minutes of her life. The call from the hospital and Grammy saying there wasn't much time left. The silence and anticipation of the inevitable. The affirmation._

_Why do bad things happen to good people?_

_"I just wish we could have been there holding his hand when he let go," Elizabeth Pierce sobbed, shaking her head with grief._

_"Liz, we knew this day would come soon," her husband stated. "At least we got to be with him on his last Christmas."_

_"That was nearly a year ago, Tim!" she lashed out. Timothy Pierce visibly flinched at her uncharacteristically harsh tone, which seemed to snap her out of the exasperated, disbelieving haze she was under._

_"I'm sorry honey, I just can't believe this is happening, he can't be gone."_

_Brittany let out a deep breath and closed her eyes as she felt a sharp pang stab her chest, an ice dagger tearing at the hole in her heart. She raised her hand to wipe away the tears that had sneakily crept up and accumulated behind her closed eyelids. Beside her, a young girl reached up and latched on to the teenager's arm. Although just barely eight years old, Hayley knew the gravity of the unfortunate news that had developed in the Pierce household. It settled in the air like dust, only heavier._

_"I only got to see him three times in my life," Hayley cried. Brittany, who had been alive before Grandat's health took a turn for the worst, was lucky enough to see him thrice as many times before she turned Hayley's age. By the time Hayley was old enough to keep memories of her grandfather, he was only the frail shell of the man his family once knew and loved. Even though Hayley never got to see the extremely hilarious and kind man that he was before his stroke, she had heard many stories from Brittany about going to Lima, Ohio in the winter time for midnight snowball fights and hot chocolate fort-building breaks with Grandat._

_"Shh honey, it's okay," Brittany held her sister tight to her body in a strong hug. If there was one thing she hated the most, it was seeing her little Hayles upset. "We're gonna be okay."_

_As the four Pierce's gathered together for a comforting group hug, those same words were repeated over and over, each family member only praying that it was the truth._

* * *

_October 27, 2013_

It's been over two months since Brittany and her family recieved the heartbreaking news on that mid-August day, and by now things have slowly started to sink in. The tears have stopped coming, and Brittany finds that the only way to keep them out is to live her life as she normally would. She's sure that's what Grandat would have wanted anyway—to keep him in her memory but not let it slow her down in carrying on with her endeavors. More than anything, she's been worried about what his death is doing to her Grammy, the woman who loved him the most. Sometimes Brittany just wishes she could hug her Grammy and be there for her when she feels lonely. _Maybe we can visit her over Christmas break_, she thinks to herself.

"Mom, I'm home!" Brittany calls out as she steps into the hall of her two-story condo.

There's a crash followed by a slew of curse words, including 'watch it fat ass' and 'damn cat', before a flash of grey is caught running swiftly (well, as swift as an animal with that much landmass can run) out of the kitchen and into the waiting arms of its owner.

"Lord T! I missed you so much, too," Brittany exclaims as she picks up her favorite animal and snuggles him closer.

"He better watch it, or he's gonna be missing a lot more than your home-from-school hugs," Mrs. Pierce remarks, walking out from the same entryway Lord Tubbington ran out of, with her arms folded and a disapproving look etched into her brow.

"Mom, you wouldn't possibly send him away!" Brittany gasps with feigned horror as she hugs Lord Tubbington closer to her body and gently whispers 'I'll protect you' into his fur. This is a common occurrence between the mother and daughter, with Mrs. Pierce constantly joking that she'll send the cat to kitty boot camp to lose a few pounds—or twenty—and Brittany pretending to be his protector from all things healthy.

"No honey, I was talking about taking away the T-R-E-A-T-S," Mrs. Pierce replies, spelling out the last word in order to not alert the cat in question.

This time Brittany's gasp is genuine as she quickly reaches to cover Lord Tubbington's ears. "Mom! How many times do I have to tell you that I taught Tubbs how to read last year! He can spell and he totally knows what you're saying," she huffs.

Mrs. Pierce lets out a chuckle and shakes her head (she can never tell if Brittany's joking or not when it comes to anything Lord Tubbington).

"Well next time teach him how to watch where he's going," she says. "He nearly ran me over when I was walking out of the kitchen."

Brittany just gives Lord Tubbington a disapproving look and waves her finger back and forth. "Bad Tubbs, no cigars for you."

After a couple of moments, Mrs. Pierce sighs and looks at Brittany with hesitant eyes. Noticing her mom's careful expression, Brittany turns her attention from scolding her cat to look at her mother expectantly.

"Brittany, there's something your father and I would like to tell you and Hayley," Mrs. Pierce finally reveals. Sensing her daughter's confusion, she adds, "Come on, they're waiting in the living room."

Following her mom through the hall and into the living room, Brittany can't help but wonder what it is exactly that her parents want to tell her. Are they getting a divorce? No, there's no way, they're the happiest couple she's ever seen. Did her dad get fired from his job at the car repair shop? Not out of the question, but highly unlikely. Were they really sending Lord Tubbington to that kitty boot camp? Oh crap.

As they enter the living room, Brittany immediately sees her sister and her dad sitting on the couch and watching TV. Or at least, trying to watch TV. It seems like they're fighting over the remote and the TV screen is rapidly flashing between an NBA basketball game and the latest episode of "Keeping Up With The Kardashians". It would be a really amusing sight, except that Brittany realizes the game is between the Spurs (her favorite team) and the Suns (her favorite team's biggest rivals) and she really wanted to watch it.

Therefore, she wastes no time in dashing towards the couch and tackling her little sister into a tickle war. Being an expert tickler has its perks, especially when it causes Hayley to drop the remote and cry 'Uncle!' over and over. Brittany swiftly snatches the non-guarded remote and sprints to the opposite side of the room where she plops down on a well-worn and extremely comfortable leather chair.

"Brittany, that's no fair!" Hayley exclaims after Brittany changes it back to the ESPN channel.

"All is fair in love and remote stealing," Brittany smirks at her sister before turning back to the TV. Just as she starts paying attention, the game cuts to a commercial about hamburgers that look way too overly-sexualized.

"Wait, dad, I missed it! What's the score?" she asks excitedly looking at her dad with eager eyes.

"97-92, Spurs with 2:53 left on the clock," Mr. Pierce replies enthusiastically. "You should've seen Parker, he's been dominating all game!"

"Awesome," Brittany starts, "I gotta check out the highlights then!"

"Okay guys, that's great, but no one cares," Hayley cuts in. "It's commercials right now so change it back!"

"Shhh, no, the game can come back on anytime," Brittany replies. "Plus anything is more interesting than watching Snooki get pregnant and people getting drunk."

"That's Jersey Shore, you idiot. This is KUWTK," Hayley retorts, folding her arms and huffing loudly. Usually Brittany and Hayley are the closest of sisters and each other's best friends, but when it comes to their favorite things (basketball and reality television, respectively), it can turn heated pretty quickly.

"Hey, girls watch it," Mrs. Pierce interrupts the bickering between the two sisters just as Brittany sticks her tongue out at Hayley. "Britt, can you put it on mute for a second? We have an announcement to make."

Brittany snaps out of her glare war with Hayley and turns the TV to mute as she remembers the reason for coming into the living room in the first place.

She raises her eyebrows expectantly and looks with a questioning glance towards Hayley, who just shrugs with an equally befuddled expression. At the same time, Mr. and Mrs. Pierce seem to be having a secret conversation with their eyes, probably trying to decide who should be the one to make this 'announcement'. It looks like Mrs. Pierce wins the battle because in the next moment Mr. Pierce is sighing and beginning what seems like a well-rehearsed speech.

"As you all know," Mr. Pierce starts, "Grammy has been having a difficult time dealing with the loss of Grandat. Everytime we call her, she says she's lonely and she wishes someone could be there with her."

Uh oh. Is this going where Brittany thinks it's going?

Mr. Pierce pauses, receives a reassuring nod from Mrs. Pierce, and continues, "So your mother and I have been discussing this for a couple of weeks and we think it's the right thing to do...for all of us, and especially Grammy."

Yeah, this is definitely going where she thinks it's going.

"Just cut to the chase, dad," Brittany interrupts (she's never been one for patience).

"We're moving to Lima." As soon as Mr. Pierce utters the words, Brittany lets out a long breath and hears Hayley outcry in protest. "Next Friday."

"Whaaaat?! We can't _move_! I've got friends and school and...and a life here!" Hayley whines, continuing to list off all the things she'll be leaving behind if they move.

Brittany, on the other hand, is silent as she contemplates what exactly this means. Moving. New life, somewhere else. Starting over. It could be good. It's not like she has much here. Besides her three basketball pals, she doesn't really have a lot of friends. The only thing she was looking forward to this coming year at school was another State Championship. But who knows? Maybe her new school has as good as a basketball team as Midland High. Maybe even a better one. And it's not like it the move will change her life that much. In two years she'll be off to college and none of it will even matter.

And it would be nice to see her only living grandparent more often. But moving to Lima would mean no more Texas. She'll definitely miss Texas. The warm autumn nights spent sitting on the top of the roof watching the twinkling lights of downtown Midland. Camping trips to Red Bluff Lake with the family. Suspenseful, fast-paced basketball games with her teammates that they somehow always managed to win. Would it be the same in Lima? Probably not. Would it be better?_ I guess I'll just have to wait and see for myself_, she supposes.

She can't say she's surprised that her parents have made this decision. Grammy had been dropping hints left and right about wanting more of her family closer to her, and she can be pretty persuasive with the things she wants. Like that massage chair she wanted last Christmas. Let's just say Mr. and Mrs. Pierce were looking up the most comfortable chair within minutes of getting off the phone.

In the midst of her speculations, Brittany's parents had managed to calm Hayley down with promises of new friends and a well-established school. Where Brittany never has the best grades and isn't too concerned with academics, Hayley is the complete opposite.

"And you'll always be able to keep in touch with your old friends," Mrs. Pierce reassures. Hayley just rolls her eyes and crosses her arms again.

"This will be a good experience, I promise. Brittany, you've been awful silent," her mom turns toward her, concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, yeah. Just...taking it all in is all."

Mrs. Pierce nods. "It's a big change for all of us, but family is important. That's why we have to move in with Grammy. I know this news is abrupt, but I think this could be a great new experience for you girls, living in a different place."

"Of course mom, we understand," Brittany smiles at her mom and dad, trying to show that she is in fact okay with this.

The more she thinks about it, the more excited she becomes. Maybe she'll have better success at making genuine friends, or getting her team to like her instead of envying her, or avoiding weird looks at school because sometimes she says things that don't make sense (to them, anyway).

Yes, this could be good.

"Thank you Brittany, we'll go over more details during dinner," Mrs. Pierce smiles back softly. "But just to let you know Britt, it's almost four o'clock."

At that, Brittany shoots up off the chair and rushes to read the clock closest to her. 3:47 blinks back at her in green LED. Shoot, she's going to be late. And with that thought in mind, she's climbing the steps two at a time and sprinting until she reaches her room. Once there, she hastily changes into her shorts and t-shirt, grabs her duffle bag, runs back down the stairs into the kitchen, and grabs a water bottle from the fridge.

It's only after she's out the door that she realizes she never got to see the end of the game.

* * *

"Hey bitch, you're late," Brittany hears as soon as she steps into the fluorescent-lit community gym.

"Oh shut it, Jer, I know you're just complaining cause you missed me," she retorts coolly, walking up to her basketball friend/mentor and giving him a fist bump. "Where're the other two dickheads?"

There's two things about Brittany that she takes pride in: her athleticism and her badassness. Especially on the basketball court. Off of the court, (with the exception of her close friends and family) she can be a shy, fumbling spaz, but once she sets foot onto the lacquered wood paneling floor and gets her hands on that familiar round leather ball, she's anything and everything she's ever wanted to be.

"They're getting candy at the vending machine because _somebody_ thought it would be cool to take their time in getting here," Jeremy replies.

'They' being Brittany's other two mentors, James and Ryan. James and Jeremy are twins, and they've known Ryan practically since birth. Brittany met them all in this very gym at the beginning of her freshman year, when they were sophomores. Fast forward to two years later and now they're the closest friends she's got. She's never been able to joke around with anybody else like she does with them (they don't take anything offensive she says to heart like she knows other people would). She'll definitely miss these three idiots who took her under their wing and helped her become the amazing athlete she is today.

"Sorry, something came up at home. I have something to tell y—" Brittany's cut off by whoops and hollers coming from behind her.

"Yo Britt!"

"Hey Britt's here!"

Before she knows it, she's getting picked up and brought into a hug from behind.

"Bitch, let me go, I have something to say," Brittany says through her laughs, struggling from who she suspects is Ryan's strong hold.

"Okay, sheesh, drama queen," Ryan says as he drops her back onto the ground. "Why you suddenly in a serious mood?"

Brittany just shrugs and says, "Guys, I have something to tell you. And you're not gonna like it."

* * *

_November 1st, 2013_

Well. This is the day. Goodbye Texas, hello Ohio. If you were to ask Brittany if she whispered goodbye to her bathroom, her refrigerator, and her bedroom window the night before, she _probably_ would refuse to answer. But whispered goodbyes or not, this is the day.

After she told James, Jeremy, and Ryan that she and her family were going away, they had stared with disbelieving faces before enveloping her in a strong group hug and making her promise to keep in touch.

_"You better text me everyday," Ryan said._

_"The girls' basketball team is really gonna suck without you," Jeremy remarked._

_"Yeah, you better be the best one on your new school's team," James added. "Oh hell, of course you will be."_

_"Thanks guys, I'm gonna really miss you too," Brittany replied. "But don't tell anybody I said that," she added jokingly._

_"Who knows, maybe you'll find a really nice guy and finally get a boyfriend instead of dating all three of us like you've been doing," Jeremy quipped._

_"That's disgusting. I would never date any of you."_

_"Nah, Jeremy, I think she'll go after a girl this time."_

_"Yeah? What makes you think that?"_

_"I don't know. Just a hunch."_

_"Guys, you _do_ know that I don't '_go after_' anybody," Brittany spoke. "Or a specific gender for that matter..."_

_"We'll see," Jeremy smirked. "We'll see."_

Brittany rolls her eyes as she thinks about how teasing Jeremy can be sometimes. It's no secret to her three friends that she's bi. In fact, aside from her family, they're the only ones who know. She had never come out at school, but she often told the three guys about her current crushes—both boy and girl—which of course they would tease her endlessly about.

"Hey Britt, you ready to go?" Her dad's voice brings her back to reality as she looks towards the plane terminal, which currently reads 'NOW BOARDING' in bright red LED lights.

"Yup," Brittany says, as she jumps up and grabs her suitcase. She joins the rest of her family who are waiting with tickets in hand as the flight attendants start letting people onto the plane.

Once they _finally_ get settled into their respective seats (Brittany happily takes the seat by the window), and the pilot has delivered his monologue about safety and blah, blah, blah (Brittany's not really paying attention, well, maybe just to the hot brunette stewardess holding the oxygen mask), the plane _finally_ begins its ascent. As it breaks through the cloudy haze, Brittany only has one thought before dozing off: this new school better have a damn good basketball team.

* * *

**A/N**: Yeah, they better! Haha hope y'all liked it :D Next chapter we meet the McKinley gang (yes that includes you-know-who ;) Stay tuned! Updates should be at least every couple of weeks and hopefully no longer than a month if times get real busy.

Until next time! :)


	2. New House, Old Friends

**A/N: Hey there, everybody! So originally this chapter was going to be longer, but I decided to split it into two parts in order to get it out faster to you guys. I'm already halfway through writing the next part, so hopefully I'll get that out soon :D**

**And I wanted to thank everybody who offered their thoughts and reviewed the last chapter. To all the guests that I can't PM, you are not forgotten nor any less important, so thank you!**

**Hope you enjoy this update! Without further ado, I bring to you, chapter number two! :)**

* * *

_November 4, 2013_

_*rnnnnnnnnng*_

"Mmm..."

_*rnnnnnnnnng*_

"Ugh..."

_*rnnnnnnnnng*_

"Jesus okay, I'm up! I'm up!" Brittany shouts at the source of the interruption to her sweet dreams. She groggily crawls across the comforter to turn off the annoying alarm clock on her sideboard table and then sits up at the edge of her bed. When she takes a solid glance at the time, her face scrunches up in confusion. _6:15? But school doesn't start 'til 7:50. Why the hell did my alarm wake me up half an hour earlier than it should have? Maybe Tubbs changed the time to mess with me_. She lets out an a resigned sigh and rolls her eyes. _Dang cat, I need my sleep._

And then she remembers.

This isn't her room back in Midland. This is the spare bedroom she's sharing with Hayley in Grammy's house. Outside the window there isn't a empty dirt lot with unmanageable weeds growing everywhere, there are a cluster of finely trimmed maple trees. And school doesn't start at 7:50. It starts at 7:20.

Because today is her first day at William McKinley High School.

The first day of the next two years of her life.

And—

"Brittany if you don't get your butt moving right now, you're going to be late!" Her mom calls from the base of the stairs.

Well at least _some_ things never change no matter where she wakes up. Groaning and stretching, she slowly works her way towards the bathroom, but not before nearly running into the bed stationed next to her. Curled up on top of the bed is a fast asleep Hayley, snoring to her heart's content. Brittany chuckles and shakes her head. That girl can sleep through anything. Even her mom's relentless yapping and an obnoxious alarm clock.

That's one more thing Brittany has to get used to: sharing a room with her little sister. Until the basement gets cleared out and she can have a room to herself, she and Hayley are stuck together. Not that Brittany doesn't like being close to her sibling, but there's only so much 'grizzly bear with a partially blocked nasal passage' wheezing she can take before she's going to start sleeping on the couch.

After getting dressed and taking a quick shower, Brittany's running down the stairs and towards the kitchen. As she passes the living room, she spots her Grammy rocking in the rocking chair while watching the morning news. She can't help but smile at the sight; nothing is more adorable than her grandmother wrapped up in blankets, humming an old 50's tune quietly to herself—perhaps reminiscing of a time when she and Grandat were physically together. Ever since her family had arrived last week, Brittany's been noticing a change in Grammy's behavior.

When they first came, Grammy could barely look any of them in the eye without breaking down in to tears. But over the past couple of days, Grammy has been dropping hints that the comforting presence of the Pierce family has made dealing with the loss of her husband much more bearable.

Not wanting to disturb her Grammy's peace and quiet, Brittany silently sneaks past the entryway of the living room. Once she reaches the kitchen, she rushes to grab some cereal from the pantry and pops a piece of bread into the toaster. Her mom zooms by a couple moments later and grabs her keys.

"We gotta go, hun," she says. "Five more minutes and I'll meet you in the car."

"Wait, but why can't I take the Ninja? It's faster and then you can drive straight to the office," Brittany questions. Her mom hasn't dropped her off at school since she got her license last year. Why now?

"Britt, your bike won't be here for another week, remember? The moving truck still has to drive it up with our other stuff," her mom replies. "And plus, I need to go grocery shopping so it's really no big deal for me to drop you off."

Oh, right. The moving truck...because they moved. Right. Apparently it'll take longer to adjust than she originally thought. _You're not in Texas anymore. This is Ohio. You're not in Texas. Things are different. Remember that._

"Yeah, sorry, I forgot about the moving truck," Brittany admits, embarrassed. "Let me just finish my cereal and I'll be out."

"Alright, but hurry!"

Once she drains every last drop of milk from her bowl, Brittany hops toward the door with a piece of toast hanging from her jaw, throws her backpack she got ready the night before over her shoulder, and steps out into the chilling Ohio autumn air.

All around the neighborhood, the last of the orange leaves on the trees are beginning their annual descent towards the earth below, preparing for the cold winter to come. Brittany observes that the Pierce family are not the only ones undergoing change this season.

The drive to McKinley is relatively silent as Brittany's nerves slowly begin to creep up and settle into the pit of her stomach. _Okay Pierce, it's okay. It's a new school. You're the new kid. So what? They don't know jack shit about you. You are a TILF state champion. You are the 2013 Midland High School Women's Basketball MVP. There's nothing to be worried about. No one can hurt you._

To take her mind off the impending furrowed brows and squinting eyes that she is bound to receive today, Brittany rests her head on the window and absorbs the surrounding fall scenery. She's been to Lima many times in her life, but never more than a few days every couple of years, and never with the intention of actually _living_ here for the rest of her high school career. As she looks out the window, she can't help but compare her old home in Texas to her new home here in Ohio. It's more rural than what she's used to. A little less urban, a little more suburban. Population 38,000, not 380,000. But there's still that western America feel that she's grown up with and learned to love. So very different, yet so very much the same.

Before she knows it, the imposing buildings of William McKinley High School are coming into view. All around loitering in front of the school are kids of all different shapes and sizes. Some are wearing red cheerleading uniforms and letterman jackets, while others are wearing normal everyday street clothes. _This is it. Remember. First impressions are important. Don't screw up. It's just the next two years of your life. You can do this._

"And here we are, Britt." Her mom pulls to a stop at the curb in front of the school and gives her an encouraging smile through the rear view mirror. Brittany just grunts and opens the door, trying to shake out the butterflies rippling throughout her body.

"So I talked to the school one more time last night and they said to go the counselor's office to get your schedule and your lunch ticket," her mom instructs her through the rolled down window. "Good luck, have fun and learn lots!"

Brittany attempts a feeble smile, throws a small 'thank you' in her mom's direction and starts walking towards the front doors of the high school. She pauses at the bottom of the steps and takes a deep breath. _Remember. You're a champion. You can do this._ Her advisory thoughts are interrupted by the warning bell as many of the students begin to leisurely enter the main building. Brittany takes another look at her surroundings before marching up the steps and into the halls of William McKinley High.

After walking around for a couple of minutes and losing her way more than a couple of times, she finally reaches the glass-paneled room that has 'COUNSELOR'S OFFICE: MS. PILLSBURY' written on the door. Without wasting anymore time, Brittany gently knocks on the mahogany wood, and after hearing a peppy "Come in!", she turns the handle and enters the office.

Brittany's greeted with the biggest pair of doe-eyes and the brightest head of ginger hair she's ever seen. If she wasn't so nervous about her first day of school, she might laugh at the comical sight before her. Instead, she walks closer to the counselor's desk in order to ask about the items she's supposed to be receiving.

"Hi, umm Ms...Pillsbury?" She hesitates and waits for the counselor's confirmation and encouraging nod.

"Yes dear, what is it that you need?" Ms. Pillsbury inquires with an over-enthusiastic eagerness, probably ecstatic at the chance to finally help a student in need.

"Well, this is my first day here and my mom called last night?" Brittany's statement comes out more like a question and she clears her throat before continuing. "She said to come here to get my schedule." There's a pause as Ms. Pillsbury squints her eyes, and then they widen almost comically with recognition.

"Yes, yes! Brittany Pierce was it?" Brittany gives a short nod, tightening her lips and pulling the corners up into a thin smile. "Oh good! Okay so here is your schedule and lunch ticket," she says, handing Brittany the items, careful not to touch skin to skin. "And because you're transferring so late into the school year, unfortunately your homeroom is full. Usually we try to organize everybody alphabetically, but there are just too many P's this year... Hey! I'm part of the P Club too! We're two P's in a pod!" exclaims Ms. Pillsbury, nodding her head emphatically and staring at Brittany with her freakishly ginormous eyes.

Was that meant to be a joke?

"Heh...um...cool," Brittany mumbles as she eyes the counselor warily. This lady has a serious rambling problem. After a couple awkward moments of silence and an unintentional staring contest, Brittany motions towards the door and asks, "So should I just go now, or...?"

"Oh, I'm sorry! What was I getting at? Oh yes! I wanted to tell you that you'll be in homeroom J through L with Mr. Schuester," Ms. Pillsbury says, smiling at the end of her sentence. "And I'll take you! Wouldn't want you to get lost, right?" She chuckles while getting up and making her way to the door. Brittany follows soundlessly behind her, still trying to decide if this lady is actually from _this_ planet or the next one over.

She continues following Ms. Pillsbury down the hall and after passing several doors, they both come to a halt. Through the classroom, it looks like a teacher is taking roll and suddenly her nerves are back, a roller coaster drop to her heart and the impact of a freight train to her stomach. When Ms. Pillsbury gives her one last expectant look—a silent _'are you ready?'_—Brittany shrugs; on the outside she's impassive and stiff, on the inside a swirl of liquid hot anxiety threatens to overtake her body. She's already anticipating the judgmental looks she's going to get for being 'the new kid' in the middle of the fall semester.

_Remember. They don't know jack shit about you._

"Just wait here for one moment, please," the counselor says before opening the door to the classroom and poking her head through.

Brittany hears muffled voices from the doorway and soon both Ms. Pillsbury and who she assumes to be Mr. Schuester are walking back out into the hall. Mr. Schuester smiles an almost creepy grin and she can't help but shudder at the sight. He looks like a nice guy and all, but that hair and that pedophillic smile don't do much for his appearance.

"Will, this is our new student, Brittany Pierce. She's just joining us from...Minnesota did your mom say?"

"Texas."

"Oh yes, that's it! I was close." _About as close as the cavemen were to inventing the telephone._

"Nice to meet you Brittany, it's great to have you in my homeroom," Mr. Schuester smiles again and this time it _almost_ feels genuine. Brittany just returns the smile and looks into the open classroom where students are giggling and babbling nonsense to one another.

"Alright, so let's get this show on the road, shall we?" The teacher chuckles and clasps his hands together. "See you around, Emma," he winks at Ms. Pillsbury and yeah. There's definitely something going on there. _Gross_.

Ms. Pillsbury gives him a timid smile and awkwardly pats Brittany on the back before wiping her hand on her skirt. _Please don't let the rest of the school be as weird as these two._

Mr. Schuester turns towards the door and waves for Brittany to follow him into the classroom. "Okay everybody quiet!" Mr. Schuester commands over the loud commotion going on in front of him, and the students barely quiet down. "Guys, listen up and give a warm welcome to the newest member of McKinley, Brittany Pierce!" At the sound of 'newest member of McKinley', the classroom clamor dies as all eyes turn towards Brittany.

Brittany grabs onto the edge of her shirt and looks down, scuffing the floor lightly with her feet. Confused whispers sound around the room until one boy too curious for his own good decides to speak for the rest of them.

"Why is _she_ transferring _here_ in _November_?" The rest of the class murmurs approval of the inquiry and before Brittany can stutter out a response that doesn't directly reveal her grandfather's death (she'd like to keep that information on the down low as much as possible), Mr. Schuester is answering for her.

"It doesn't matter, Dave, all that matters is that Brittany's here now and we should all be welcoming of her," he sends the intimidating jock with the broken filter, 'Dave' _apparently_, a warning glare, which seems like a common occurrence between the two.

"Brittany, why don't you tell us something about yourself?" Mr. Schuester then asks to direct the attention away from Dave's rude obtrusion, and Brittany instantly shifts her gaze up to the teacher's in alarm. _No, no, no! I don't need any more things for these people, especially this Dave guy to call me out on! Shit, please dude just let me sit down._ She looks at him, silently begging to skip the introduction and go straight to her seat. Nevertheless, her prayers go unanswered when Mr. Schuester raises his eyebrows and urges her on with a tilt of his head; apparently he won't be letting her off the hook without an introduction first.

Brittany grits her teeth and turns back around to face the classroom. All eyes are on her as she struggles for something to say that won't be an open invitation for judgment and ridicule.

_Okay, dont talk about Lord Tubbington, everyone will think you're some weird cat lady. Don't talk about Grammy and Grandat because then people might pity you. Who knows what people will say if you talk about Texas._

_There's really only one thing left. Everybody thinks playing sports is cool. It's like written in the Terms and Conditions of being a teenager._

"Well, um hi, my names Brittany, and I like to uh, play basketball," she inwardly cringes at the weakness in her voice and the awkward phrasing of her statement. But at least she did what this Mr. Schuester guy wanted so now she can go sit in the back and pretend like she doesn't exist. Maybe people won't bother her just like they didn't at Midland.

But Dave has other plans.

"_Basketball_?" the Neanderthal snorts. "Laaame. Girls don't play basketball. They might break a nail or something." Half of the class erupts into laughter at his goading jab, the other half looks at her with pitying eyes, both groups used to Dave's relentless behavior.

"Karofsky. That. Is. Enough," Mr. Schuester glares at him as Brittany still stands uncomfortably in front of the classroom, desperate to look nonplussed by the harsh stares and words. "Brittany, you can go take a seat over there," he says, his voice soft with an unspoken apology blended into the light of his eyes as he points to the empty seat in the back of the classroom.

Brittany swallows down the lump in her throat and begins walking towards her seat. Luckily, most kids have reverted back to talking amongst themselves and are no longer paying attention to the embarrassing situation (well, embarrassing for her) in the front of the classroom. Not so luckily, one student is still keen on perpetuating it.

As Brittany approaches the first row of seats, the harsh white of an open notebook laying on someone's desk in the third row catches her eye. On the notebook is a simple drawing etched into the lined paper with dark ink. When Brittany is close enough to see the lines more defined, she is captivated. The sketch looks to be of two birds wrapped loosely in ribbons—perhaps carrying the streamers in their beaks? She can't tell—breaking out of their cage and flying towards the clouds above. Something about it pulls Brittany in; she's sure there must be some message behind it, but she can't figure out what.

Realizing that she had paused in the middle of the row of desks to admire the illustration, she embarrassingly continues on, still keeping her eyes locked onto the drawing. Brittany can't seem to take her eyes away, but eventually she makes an attempt to shift her gaze up.

Before she can raise her eyes any higher to see the creator of the mesmerizing birds, Brittany is abruptly interrupted. She barely gets past the second row before she feels something hard hit her feet as they start to fall out from under her. To brace herself from the fall and to keep from landing on her face, she blindly sticks her hands out in front of her.

She looks behind her to see what might have caused the fall, and she shouldn't be surprised at what she finds. Douchebag Dave is wearing a smug little smirk that makes Brittany's toes curl in rage. Her face turns bright red, from the anger boiling in the pit of her stomach or the mortifying stares from many of the students she isn't sure.

If this wasn't her first day of school and there weren't some 30-odd witnesses focusing all their attention on the scene before them, Brittany would show this guy just how many nails she's willing to break to give him a piece of her mind. But she doesn't want to be sent to the principal's office anytime soon, so she just takes a deep breath and swings her head back around to see what exactly saved her from falling flat on her face and making her first Homeroom at McKinley even more humiliating than it already was.

The object that braced her fall? None other than _the_ desk. And even better than that? Her hands had slammed straight onto the ink-filled page of _the_ notebook. The ink-filled page with _the_ drawing. _Crap_.

As soon as she sets her eyes on her hands and subsequently the page in which they rest to see the damage she had done to the masterpiece, the cover of the book is being slammed over the protruding knuckles of her fingers, forcing Brittany to take her hand out from underneath the enclosed pages. Brittany immediately looks up to see who the artist of the drawing was and why they so were so hasty to shut the notebook closed before she could sneak another peek.

What she's met with are a pair of creased brows settling over impenetrably alluring dark eyes that are staring straight into Brittany's. The eyes are even more mysterious and captivating than the drawing the girl that sits before her created. Then those eyes are drifting down to Brittany's hands and when she follows the gaze, she's startled to find the underside of her palms and thumbs covered in ink. The ink that once belonged to the two birds. _Oh shit._

* * *

**Fucking Karofsky causing BrittBritt to fall into things she wasn't expecting to fall into...**


End file.
